Sometimes the best offense is a good defense. Other times, the best defense is a good offense. Saturday afternoon, Dallas provided both for the Chico State baseball team in a 9-8 victory at San Francisco State to earn Wildcat of the Week honors.
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Porter entered the game as a defensive replacement in the bottom of the fifth with the Wildcats clinging to a 6-5 lead and made an immediate impact. The junior transfer from the University of South Alabama (Irvine Valley CC/Mission Viejo HS) made three solid-to-spectacular plays in the inning, assisting on all three outs.
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He made a nice play charging a chopper for the first out, went deep into the hole to his left and made a strong throw to get the runner for out number two, and then threw to second on a fielders' choice to end the inning.
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He came up big in the sixth as well, snaring a line drive with a runner on second to end the sixth and preserve the Wildcats' one-run lead.
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Porter exchanged his glove for a batting glove in the seventh and hit one of the team's biggest home runs of the season. With two on and one out, Porter pounced on a 3-1 pitch, depositing it over the wall in left field for his first home run of the season.
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The blast gave Chico State a 9-5 cushion, and they needed every bit of it. After Porter momentarily saved a run by knocking the ball down with a diving stop of a grounder, San Francisco State cut the lead to 9-8 with a three-run homer before the Wildcats closed the door.
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Porter and the Wildcats will wrap up the regular season with a four-game series at Stanislaus State this weekend. The team's magic number to clinch a spot in the California Collegiate Athletic Association Championship Tournament is down to one, and the Wildcats are just a half game out of first in the CCAA's North Division standings.
